All have sinned, Whispers from Your Father, God

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 NIV

When I inspired Paul to write these words I drove a stake in the ground to punctuate mankind’s dilemma.  Some say it was the fork in the road of their life. All of humanity has sinned.  In fact, I had Paul emphasize it again.  “There is none righteous, no not one.” 

Some have tried to convince me that there are degrees of sinfulness.  They say that others are really bad people, but I should overlook their own sins.  But sin in your life is like crap.  It doesn’t look good on anybody and it always smells bad.  How much crap would you allow to remain on your body, because you think it is just a little bit?  All sins stinks before Me and makes Me want to vomit.

I physically made your body to be able to experience my glory.  My glory is the pure unfiltered essence of my presence.   My son exhibited my glory in human form as John captured it, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 NIV. 

So sin, doesn’t just make you fall behind, or reveal that you do not quite measure up to my standards.  It reveals your insufficiency, your lack, your barrenness, your underservedness and uncovers your hidden impure motives. 

Death is the consequence of sin, but it is not the remedy.  It is the shedding of blood that is required to cover sin.  Innocent blood shed in behalf of another, negates the power and ramification of sin.  For those who receive it, My Son died and shed his blood so that others could be free of the grip of their own sin.  He took on the sin of others and experienced death, so that others could experience life and my glory.

Oh, how I want to share all of Me with all of you.  I created you so that we could enjoy each other’s presence.  Let me remove the sin that so easily entangles.  I have and always will love you, even when you were dead in the middle of your sinful actions and thoughts. I have made a way, when you thought there was no way out.  My Son is the way, the truth and the life.

Whispers from your Father, God

I am creator, Whispers from Your Father, God

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

From the moment I created the earth, I knew how you would fit into the framework of humanity.  You are not an accident even if your birth came as a surprise or inconvenient circumstances.  I have never made a mistake and your life is not my first.

My creativity is not second nature to me, it is a core expression of my personality.  I have placed that same essence of creativity inside you.  It is part of being made in my image.  Each of your five senses were given for you to experience my creativity.  I enjoy your reactions as you smell a rose, feel rain upon your face, taste a snowflake, touch the sand at the edge of a beach, hear the birds awaken the morning, and watch the changing colors of every original sunset.

As I reflected upon all that I created, it was good.  This is also true of your life and well being.  When I fashioned you into a new creation, I will not stop until you are fully formed into my image.  You are the apple of my eye.  Hear me, when I declare that which I am perfecting in you is good.

Whispers from Your Father, God

The Lost have a name

¹⁵ Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) NLT

On one of my morning walks I passed the driveway of a childcare home.  I noticed a container of yogurt on the driveway and a bag nearby with several containers in it.  I knew that cars would soon be driving over the bag and making an even larger mess.  Before I knew it, I had stopped and picked up the trash.

Now the trash was mine and I began looking for a place to get rid of it- not a garbage can in sight.  I saw other trash thrown along the road, but I couldn’t just throw the bag on the ground again.  As cars passed by, I realized that I was now being identified with the trash that I had picked up.  Finally I found the proper place to dispose of the trash.

When it comes to loving the lost, Jesus reveals at least two principles in the story with Levi.  First, Jesus owned his activity.  He could have declined the invitation to go eat at Matthew’s home.  Certainly he would have known that the Pharisees were watching for they were also among those following him.  But Jesus always moved in the direction of those who were hurting, needy and lost.  He came to seek and to save that which was lost.  In your sphere of influence, are there people who are needy, hurting, or lost?  Is it possible that you need “to pick up” a relationship with them?  The lost have a name…who are they for you?

Secondly, Jesus was not afraid to be identified with the disreputable.  We are so glad, because as a believer that is the condition in which he found all of us before becoming saved.  In our pursuit of following Jesus we can slip into sanitized Christianity that keeps us from engaging and loving those who are still in the dark.  This is not an easy task to be genuine with those lost without compromising our values.  But Jesus did it.

The key to engaging those yet to become followers of Jesus, is to be keenly aware of our own judgmentallism.  When we think we are better than someone else, they know it.  Our words of love will not match our reception of love.  But when we see all people as those who are loved by Jesus, we can see God’s kingdom come into our midst.

The good news of the gospel is still good.  There are many who need someone to share that there is life beyond what they have experienced.  Let’s take up some ownership for their salvation.  Let’s reject pride.  Don’t let fear keep us from being able to spend enough time with the lost that they can experience Jesus unconditional love through us.

You are equipped for the task, because you are loved by Jesus

Can you say ap·pre·ci·ate? I thought you could.

Working with Katy and Micah this summer has allowed me to wear the name tag “Mr. Rogers”.  For years I have been called Pastor Greg partly in effort to resist all of the “how’s your neighborhood” jokes.  But today, I’m embracing the association of Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood) by highlighting a word for the day -Appreciation.  Can you say ap·pre·ci·ate?.  Sure you  can, good job.

Seriously, appreciation is taken from the root Latin words meaning to “add more price”, Webster defines it as to grasp the worth, value or nature, to admire highly or judge with heightened perception of value.

Paul encourages expressing appreciation.  ¹⁷ I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. ¹⁸ For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.    I Corinthians 16:17-18 NIV

 Many begin this discussion with all of the ways that we feel un-appreciated.  We think we give great effort at work and possibly no one notices…definitely not reflected in our pay.  Or perhaps, you are in a relationship in which you feel that you are giving far more than the other person.  Moms are possibly the most under-appreciated people on the planet for their tireless and nonstop work of providing care for the home.

 But the important question is “how do YOU communicate appreciation”?  There is no certain right way to do it, but not communicating appreciation is always wrong or at least selfish.  Some of you will communicate it through words, acts of service, giving of gifts, spending time with a person, of physical touch.  You may recognize these as the five love languages by Gary Smalley.  The key is that there is a variety of ways to communicate to someone how much you value them.

 I would like to pose a series of questions to stimulate your thinking about increasing the appreciation atmosphere in your world.  For true appreciation is like a boomerang.  The more you throw it out, it eventually will come back to you.

-       How would an atmosphere of appreciation change your work environment?

-       How does your spouse know that you highly value their worth in your life?

-       Would others consider you to be someone who is appreciative?

-        IF the shoe fits, why do you struggle expressing appreciation?

-       How could expressing appreciation to God enhance your spiritual closeness to Him?  In what ways do you communicate it?   The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Psalm 126:3 NIV

 This side of heaven we have the freedom to use our tongue for as much good as possible.  Communicating heartfelt and deserved appreciation is always a win – win.

I just wanted to say, “I hope your neighborhood is full of appreciation- because you deserve it.”

 Blessings on ya, Pastor Greg

I DARE YOU - Read the Bible Aloud 21 Day Challenge

I Dare You – Read the Bible Aloud

Tough guy actor Robert Conrad played in a series of commercials for Eveready batteries back in the late 1970’s.  He claimed they were the best batteries ever.  If you disagreed with him, then he would put the battery on his shoulder.  Look at you and say, “I dare you to knock it off.”

So, I dare you to read the Bible aloud; not just once, but for 21 days.

What difference would that make you may say?  Perhaps you already have your morning devotion and read through your daily reading plan.  Praise God, you are in the minority, recent polls have 1 in 5 Americans reading the Bible daily.  For a Book that we espouse as the Word of God…meaning that we believe it is a written revelation from God to us; most have never read it in its entirety.

Found this scripture in the Bible, “³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”  Revelation 1:3. So, God says that there is a blessing for those who read it aloud.  I know that John was referring primarily to the book of Revelation, but the principle remains true.  There is a blessing for those who read and hear the Word of God.

Also, faith comes through hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  I know that there is spiritual hearing - when God’s Spirit is speaking to our spirit.  But I also know there is an advantage to physically hearing the Word of God.  We respond to that which we hear.

So here is the plan.

Ask God to reveal Himself to you and increase your faith.  Set a start date, then read 1 chapter of the gospel John each day for 21 days.

Husbands read over your wife, possibly as you lay down to go to sleep

Wives read over your husband while he sleeps or is at work.

Moms read over your children, possibly while they are going to sleep.

Singles read over your pets or a picture of your family

Teens turn off all media and read.  Allow yourself to become comfortable with hearing God’s word in your mouth.

For those who struggle reading aloud, it not a race.  Find a You Version app that reads the word aloud and follow along as best as you can.

After 21 days, let me know what surprised you.  Share what you enjoyed and what was difficult.

We get to use our tongue for anything that we want, this side of heaven.  Much of what comes out of our mouths we wish had never come out.  Jesus said that what comes out of our mouths reveals what has been in our heart.  So, I challenge you to intentionally allow God’s Word to ROLL off Your TONGUE.  Be prepared to Hear God’s word and put it into practice.

I’m not a tough guy, but I DARE YOU – Take the 21 Day Read the Bible ALOUD challenge.  A blessing awaits.